Sylvia Morelle, a journalism student decides to find out what happened to cafe regular Ida Laine what will she find? This is a good, interesting and intriguing mystery of a missing person with a bit of a slow start but then the story builds.

A well written story with some great characters that will keep you involved. The storyline is good and builds along the way with a few twist and plenty of mystery but also with the feel of tenderness and friendship. I quite enjoyed it.

Thank you NetGalley and Inspired By Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Firstly I’ll start by saying I wouldn’t describe this as a book for fans of the Thursday murder club, as it is nothing like it in style. This feels more like a soul searching mystery, than a comedic one, which has its place, but will disappoint fans of the Richard Osman books as this isn’t the style they enjoy. The book starts off very slow, with entire chapters telling the reader little of the story. For fans of slow builds and stories that aren’t full of red herrings, you will like this book, for others, you may lose patience with the slow pace and the fact the book is half an emotional journey rather than pure mystery

Her Empty Chair is the kind of mystery novel that takes such a twist that you're left wondering which book you'd been reading to begin with. Promising a missing person case, Her Empty Chair quickly goes from where-is-she to who-am-I, navigating the unexpected path of mystery gone coming-of-age novel with ease and agility. However, not all detours are created equal and I found myself growing increasingly annoyed with the story's hiccups as they piled up.

The story opens with Sylvia Morelle, a student and part-time waitress in London, wondering where her café regular, the ever-elegant elderly Ida Laine, hailing from Paris, has gone. Ida hasn't been showing up to her usual Sunday café lunch hour, leaving no crumbs for Sylvia to follow. Ida has left no home address, no phone number, no relatives or friends to turn to. At first, Sylvia waits. Days go by until another Sunday comes around, bringing hope of Ida's return but to no avail. As her despair and worry grow, Sylvia turns from concerned friend-slash-waitress into improvised detective, trying to retrace Ida's steps and unlock more about the Parisian's sudden disappearance as well as her identity.

The writing is fluid albeit overly focussed on descriptors of exterior signs of class and wealth at times such as fashion and home interiors. The plot twist resolution takes a picture-perfect twist, with everything falling into place neatly, no room for stray hairs and life's usual load of imperfection (but this will please those looking for a feel-good ending!). The dialogues of the first half of the book feel a little stiff and unnatural, ponctuated by too many affectionate names in French. And the French aspect of this novel is where it unravels for me, unfortunately.

While Her Empty Chair is also a love story to Paris and France, it expresses its affection for all things French in too clumsy a manner to be overlooked by anyone who's French or knows France well. It starts out with a few small things, easy to set aside, such as a seven year-old French child not knowing the adjective 'pétillant·e' (unlikely in a country where sparkling water is very common and referred to non stop in restaurant and café settings) or the word for blueberry. But the errors keep coming and soon, it becomes difficult to look beyond these. Notable errors include - but are not limited to - the author making up street names in Paris (especially when the anecdote could easily have relied on actual street name, la rue du Croissant in the second arrondissement) confusing the word 'pelage' with 'fourrure' (the coat of an animal, still alive, is 'pelage', while 'fourrure' or 'manteau de fourrure' refers to the fur coat that humans sew after stripping the fur off the animal) as the main character learns French from an allegedly French character (a true headscratcher), a wedding celebration that is legally impossible in France where a courthouse wedding is mandatory and where registrars don't come to châteaux to officiate. It was a shame to feel myself being pulled away from the narrative with each error made, especially as all of these could have been avoided by having a cultural consultant (or a reliable French friend) read the draft.

For those looking to spend a rainy afternoon in the company of a mystery novel that quickly turns inwards, wanting a read that can be finished in a matter of just a few hours, Her Empty Chair could prove to be a worthy read. This one is for those who enjoy family secrets, drama, motherhood and identity matters. Fellow French people: beware.

"Slamming and locking the door behind her, she suddenly felt all alone, an imposter in her own home. Everything around her was a lie. Who was she?"

Her Empty Chair is an engaging mystery that keeps readers hooked from the very first page. Sylvia Morelle, a student and waitress at a French café in Covent Garden, is accustomed to the steady rhythm of her daily life.

However, when her beloved regular, Mrs Ida Laine, mysteriously vanishes without a trace, Sylvia’s world is turned upside down.

As the weeks drag on with no sign of the glamorous Parisian, Sylvia, determined to uncover the truth, embarks on her investigation—and soon discovers far more than she expected.

The book’s multi-narrative structure expertly weaves together various storylines, creating a series of twists and turns that maintain a high level of suspense.

The writing is poetic yet accessible, with metaphors that bring vivid imagery to life, adding depth to the characters and the setting. Readers are quickly drawn into Sylvia’s search for answers, becoming invested in the lives of the individuals who cross her path.

With its readable prose and compelling mystery, Her Empty Chair is a real page-turner.

It’s a book that masterfully combines intriguing plot developments with relatable characters, making it a standout choice for fans of thrilling, character-driven mysteries.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

this book was so much more than i thought it was. and goes far deeper than i thought it was. in all good ways. it was smart. it was tender. the characters were lovable, delicate and surprising. the plot was tender and wonderful and flowed like a song on a page. a brilliant book.

The comparison to Elinor Oliphant is Completely Fine is an apt one, as this book shares the great appeal of characters who are simultaneously endearing and kind of heart breaking. The relationships are presented in such a way as to make you feel part of them, too, and the author’s knack for accessible prose adds to the sense of really being part of the action.

This was an intriguing mystery with lovable characters and an engaging plot. I enjoyed this from beginning to end.